Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Cooking Spoon

The Cooking Spoon.....

This spoon has been in my family since the 1940's. It belonged to my Grandma Mary. She owned and ran restaurants and saloons and this was one that she used both at work and later at home. She gave this spoon to my mother, Anita, when her and my father were married in 1947. My mother used this spoon for years. It is part of my childhood memory of my mother's cooking. It was used to cook with and to serve the food. at the table. In 1978 my mother gave this spoon to Jeri and I and we have used it almost daily for 35 years. There is so much love and family history in that spoon. If it could only talk.

My grandmother was an excellent cook, not a chef, but a cook. Her food was simple, homey and good. She would use that spoon to cook with whenever she was visiting. Whether it was Mexican or American cooking and everything in between, Grandma Mary did it all. Same with my mother. It was used daily and for everything. It has always done double duty during the holidays.

When I use this spoon I can almost feel my grandmother's presence in the kitchen. There is magic in that spoon. This is a sturdy commercial grade spoon, meant to stand the test of time. It has held up well. The back of the handle says “Pan-Fit, Pat Pend ,Stainless Steel.” The name Pan-Fit presumably refers to the slant at the tip of the spoon, which really does help, especially in a deeper pot. Whatever my grandmother paid for it, she certainly got her money's worth. Someday it will be passed on to one of my kids, and then someday to a grandchild. On one hand it is just a simple cooking spoon, on the other hand, it is not so simple! These are the things I treasure. You can't put a price on a family heirloom, not even on a simple cooking spoon.